"My Law to Govern My Church"

 Come, Follow Me: April 19-25 - Doctrine & Covenants 41-44

The phrase "my law to govern my church" comes from Doctrine and Covenants 42:59.  The church was being established in Kirtland, Ohio and numerous converts were flocking to the area.  In earlier revelations, the members had been told by the Lord that the law would be given in Ohio, and these sections are the fulfilment of that promise.

Doctrine and Covenants 41
"He that receiveth my law and doeth it, the same is my disciple.”

It's fairly simple - hear and receive the law, and then follow it. And if you choose not to follow it, verse 5 says you "shall be cast out".  Of course, there is always the 


Doctrine and Covenants 42
God’s laws govern His Church and can govern our lives.

Doctrine and the accompanying principles teach us the path to follow.  President Nelson has called it the Covenant Path and I think that is a good description of the idea that we are making a promise to follow and the guidance is given on where to go.  No one is forced to make the choice, and as you see in the world today you are free to leave the path at anytime.  But following that path will lead us to the "Tree of Life" and exaltation.

"The Principles of My Gospel" - Elder Bednar, April 2021

 

In the April 2021 General Conference, Elder Bednar gave a talk about "The Principles of My Gospel".  I taught an Elders Quorum lesson today based on that talk, and wanted to share a few things I learned.

The first thing I saw more clearly today was the distinction between Doctrine and Principles (as well as Applications). Elder Bednar describes doctrine as: "A truth of salvation revealed by a loving Heavenly Father." He then describes principles as: "A doctrinally based guideline for the righteous exercise of moral agency."

Focusing on learning about Doctrine led me to the Seminar section of the Church website, where I found the "Doctrinal Mastery Core Document".  This document lays out 9 different topics:

1. The Godhead
2. The plan of salvation
3. The Atonement of Jesus Christ
4. The Restoration
5. Prophets and revelation
6. Priesthood and priesthood keys
7. Ordinances and covenants
8. Marriage and family
9. Commandments

Each of these topics has a short description and scriptural references.  It's a great starting point for studying the doctrines of the gospel.